Walter Driskill
Football coach turned brewing executive and importer of Beck's.
Last updated
Walter Scott Driskill, born in 1913 and died in 1998, was a football coach and executive for the University of Maryland and the Baltimore Colts. After his sports career, he worked in brewing, founding Dribeck Importers, which exclusively imported Beck's beer into the United States.
Coaching
Walter Driskill spent five seasons coaching at Colorado before moving to Wyoming. During World War II, he served as a Navy officer in the pre-flight educational program. After the war, he became an assistant to Jim Tatum at Oklahoma, then followed Tatum to Maryland in 1947.
Before the season began, Driskill took over as Maryland's athletic director so Tatum could focus on coaching. In 1948, he became general manager of the Baltimore Colts, was named team president in 1949, and later that year took over as head coach after a poor start. He resigned as head coach and president after the season but stayed on as general manager.
Did You Know?
- Driskill earned his bachelor's in history from the University of Colorado in 1936 and his master's in history in 1940.
- He lettered three times as a tackle at Colorado and was a teammate of Byron 'Whizzer' White.
- Driskill served as an officer in the Navy's pre-flight educational program during World War II.
- Driskill sold Dribeck Importers to Beck's in 1989 for $28 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Walter Driskill born?
Walter Driskill was born on 20 September 1913 in Austin, Texas, U.S.
When did Walter Driskill die?
Walter Driskill died on 25 July 1998 in Delray Beach, Florida, U.S.
More in American Businesspeople in the Drink Industry
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Walter Driskill (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced